Rekindled

Image by velo_city

We have been redecorating recently, and being a bit of a treehugger, naturally I decided to spend some time researching eco-friendly paint options. I discovered that most paint contains something called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These are chemicals which can cause indoor air pollution that is bad for the environment and bad for your health. Once you have painted your walls, the chemicals can continue to affect the air in your home for years. VOCs are also what make paint smell, so low-VOC paints are more ‘breathable’.

Luckily the British paint industry seems to have cottoned on to this problem, and they have come up with a 5-band classification scheme: Minimal, Low, Medium, High and Very High. B&Q have also developed a logo (below) which can help you to make an informed decision. While I was shopping for paint I noticed that most brands seemed to be labelled Low or Minimal, which is encouraging.

You can also go one step further and buy paint that is completely natural. These paints contain zero VOCs. The only compromise you have to make may be on colour. Natural paints tend to be available in more muted, natural shades. They can also take much longer to dry. At the moment there are no mass-market natural paint options, so unfortunately you can’t just pop down to your local hardware store and pick up a few cans, you will have to plan in advance and order your paints online (although many suppliers offer next-day delivery).

A couple of weeks ago I started a new job, which is in the opposite direction to where my husband works. So we decided to go and buy a cheap second car for the commute. We looked around a few dealerships and quickly realised that once you take into account tax, insurance, MOT etc, that we were looking at a good couple of thousand pounds, which was well out of our budget. So my brave (and foolish?) husband said that he would cycle to work if he could have a new road bike. He already cycles a couple of times a week but has a mountain bike, which is much heavier.

So we bought the bike, and he has been true to his word and cycled to work every single day. Luckily it has only rained once, and he took a change of clothes with him so it was fine, although he did have soggy shoes all day!  I’m not quite sure how it will work out in the autumn and winter, so watch this space!

Swirlyarts is a UK based company run by Lynsey who is also a WAHM to two little cuties! This eclectic etsy shop is filled with chicken doorstops made from recycled and vintage fabrics, badges, cards, envelopes, gift tags and stickers made from old ‘beyond repair’ books and maps and some pieces featuring vintage buttons.

Lynsey says:

I love the challenge of working with things that in the past had a different purpose. One of my favourite past times is rummaging through junk and charity shops and visiting jumble sales and car boot fairs. I tend to go for the stuff that most people overlook so it’s good in my book! I also go to my local scrapstore and as they have different items in every time I go that inspires me to try out new things.

Lynsey has come up with a really cool new product idea - an egg box sewing kit! It contains all the things you would need for a quick bit of sewing - needles, thread, vintage buttons etc etc. It also has a handmade small fluffy pincushion in there as well. What a great way to re-use an egg box, and a great gift for a friend who is interested in sewing and crafting.

Lynsey is a member of the Eco Etsy team and networks on there and on places such as Flickr and Craftjuice. She also has her own personal blog Swirly Thoughts and also runs a site called Cuteable which features mainly handmade, cute things.

Where to find Rowena:

http://www.swirlyarts.etsy.com
http://www.swirlyarts.blogspot.com
http://www.cuteable.com
http://ecoetsy.com/
http://www.craftjuice.com/

I’m really getting excited about all the action in my garden at the moment, with lots of sunshine everything seems to be shooting up at an astonishing rate. My potatoes have grown right up out of the top of their bags, so I have earthed them up, which basically means I have put more soil into the bags until there was only about 6″ of stem and leaves still showing. This should trick the plants into growing more potatoes all the way up to the top of the soil. One of the varieties I have got is recommended by Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall from River Cottage so I am excited to try them!

My herbs aren’t doing quite so well, the poor little things got completely drowned in some heavy rain, but I got my lovely hubby to drill some holes in the bottom so now they aren’t quite so soggy. I have repotted the chilli as well, but it is still looking a bit feeble so I don’t know whether we will get any fruit from it this year.

The first teeny tiny hints of tomatoes are just starting to appear on my tomato plants. This is despite the fact that every time there is a hint of a breeze, all the pots topple over.  The first day I spotted this was very exciting, and each time I check there are a few more just coming through.

The latest addition to the garden is a courgette plant which a friend gave to me. I have repotted it into a nice big pot so it has lots of room to grow.

My dwarf beans are growing nicely, with lovely big leaves. Unfortunately the slugs also think they are lovely. However my slug stoppa tape has just arrived today so I will be giving that a try later on. It is copper tape that slugs and snails apparently hate and you just tape it around the rim of the pot. I will let you know how I get on!

My salad leaves are absolutely amazing growers. I have done literally nothing to them and they seem to grow a bit more every time I look at them. I’m pretty sure they will be ready to eat in about 2 weeks. And because they are ‘cut and come again’ varieties, I should be able to get another crop 6 weeks after that, and repeat all summer!

Stay tuned, more updates from Zoe’s veggie garden will be coming soon!

Rowena is a Sheffield based crafter, whose etsy shop, rowenaallen, is a collection of “Make Do and Mend” items using vintage materials. She has some very unique items in her shop, including necklaces made from vintage ties, and teacup candles - a fantastic gift idea! She is very committed to reusing items to keep them out of landfill, and has even used scraps of fabric left over from making cushions to create these fabulous button rings!

Here is what Rowena says about herself:

My favourite saying is ‘One man’s junk is another man’s treasure’. I am passionate about sourcing vintage fabrics, ribbons, buttons, retro ties and other trinkets to transform into something new.

I love to search through local jumble sales, flea markets, antique and charity shops to find interesting and unusual things to include in my designs.

My designs were developed out of a desire to buck the trend of ‘buy it cheap, buy it in bulk, throw it away tomorrow’ which seems to exist today. I want to re-use and to treasure what we already have, to look at objects in a new light and to see their potential to be developed into something new and interesting.

As a result I have developed designs for cushion created from jumpers, candles in teacups and necklaces made using vintage ties. I also make badges, magnets, cards, purses and hearts all made from vintage fabric, buttons, ribbon and lace.

Where to find Rowena:

Etsy Store: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5578179

Image by valjk

Previous posts in this series:

• 7 Steps to shopping greener (introduction)
• 7 Steps to shopping greener: buy less stuff
• 7 Steps to shopping greener: buy used
• 7 Steps to shopping greener: buy recycled

Why buy organic?

In conventional farming immense quantities of chemicals are used on crops: pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. Residues of these chemicals build up in the crops, which are then used for food and other products, and can be associated with health problems in humans. They also damage the soil and reduce its fertility, harm wildlife, and their production causes pollution. Taxpayers also have to pay for these chemicals to be removed from drinking water. Organic farming restricts the use of these chemicals, and in addition genetically modified crops are not allowed. Organic livestock is reared without the routine use of antibiotics and other drugs, because their overuse can lead to the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria, and animal welfare standards are much higher than with conventional farming. Many food additives, also linked with health problems, are not allowed.

As a result of all the above, organic food contains fewer artificial chemicals, and studies have shown that they actually contain more nutrients than conventional food. Many people say that organic food also tastes better (including me!).  It supports wildlife as well as ensuring better living conditions for livestock.  Most importantly for me, organic farming is more sustainable and does much less damage to the environment.

How does it work?

Organic farming uses ‘old-fashioned’ farming techniques to prevent problems from arising (rather than curing them). For example, farmers rotate their crops from year to year to prevent diseases from building up in the soil. Compost is used to feed the plants instead of chemical fertilisers. Animals are not overcrowded and are therefore less likely to get diseases, and antibiotics are only used if recommended by a vet. In addition live exports are banned and transportation times are limited, which reduces animal suffering.

How to choose organic

Look for certified organic products. The Soil Association is the best known certifying body in the UK - look for their logo on product packaging. Organic certification is not just for food and can also be applied to accommodation, cosmetics, household products, clothes, and many many more items - just check out the Organic Directory for inspiration!

For more information, try these websites:

• Why Organic
• Soil Association
• Natural Collection Dot Guides: Organic
• About Organics

Our featured crafter this week is Bombus, which means ‘busy bee’ - something I think we can all relate to! Amelia is the creative talent behind this unique etsy shop, and she makes customised vintage furniture and homewares using an innovative decoupage technique. She also has a line of stationery in her shop.

Amelia originally trained as a textile designer specialising in weave, but has been working on her decoupage technique for a few years now. Her designs evolve naturally with each new piece as she says “each time I discover new ways to make the surfaces flatter smoother & more seductive”.

She uses vintage fabrics, comics, books and maps to make a recycled product which looks modern and funky. Her pieces have been featured in the press, including the Sunday Times Magazine, the Independent and the Telegraph as well as several interiors magazines and numerous websites. She has worked hard to build a big web presence, as in addition to her Etsy shop she has her own website and 2 blogs - Create (featuring her own work) and Re-Craft (featuring other etsy recyclers), she has a store at notonthehighstreet - which has prices in £ pounds instead of $ dollars, and she is also a member of several networking sites including flickr and indiepublic.

Personally, I like the items in Amelia’s shop so much that I have actually ordered a cube paperweight (pictured above) from her as a Father’s Day gift for my dad. I can’t wait for the package to arrive - I wonder if I will be able to give it away!

Where to find Bombus:

• Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5114036
• Website: http://www.bombus.co.uk
• Blog: http://www.theartofcraft.blogspot.com/

I have taken 4 different shots of the same necklace, in different lighting conditions. What I want to know is, which one looks best? Leave a comment below and let me know!

A. Taken late afternoon in direct sunlight

B. Taken outside at around midday, in direct sunlight.

C. Taken outside at about midday, in the shade.

D. Taken inside at about midday (not in direct sunlight).

This afternoon I had an hour or so to spare and the sun was shining, so I thought I would finally get out my camera and take some photos of my jewellery ready to upload to etsy. None of the windows in my house get direct sunlight, and I have been told before that photos I have taken indoors are too dark, so to make sure the photos are nice and light I went outside to the garden and snapped away. However, I’m not sure if I left it too late in the afternoon, as there are quite long shadows in some of the photos.

I have to admit, I do find it hard to make my photos look really good.  So I would really appreciate any constructive feedback - and yes I know the middle one is a bit out of focus, but does it look good in an arty sort of way?  I’m not sure whether I need to try building a light box again (my old one got trashed when we moved).  What do you think?

Today’s featured green crafter is rachaelhunt, whose etsy shop has some really cool jewellery including pendants made from puzzle pieces, dominoes, and vintage buttons, along with greetings cards and tags. Here is what she has to say about herself and her craft:

I am a Mum to Gage 12yrs, Yasmine 6yrs, Rona 4yrs and loving Hubby Ian. Currently living with my Parents in Surrey having just sold our house in rural/coastal Suffolk.

I love and am addicted to anything crafty, making and buying. My ottoman full of material, old clothes, and my craft boxes full of magazines and card is my idea of Heaven.

I enjoy making all sorts of items while teaching my children at the same time and I hate throwing anything away - so I re-use as much as possible. For example I made some party bags out of children’s gift paper and magazines for my daughters party and they went down a storm, so I made some out of newspaper and started selling them on Etsy.

I have no rule about recycling I just look at what I’ve got and have a long think about what it really wants to be for the rest of its life…crazy I know but with 3 kids its that little bit of sanity I need.

I have many more projects in the making, all buzzing round in my head waiting to get out, so I don’t have time to get a conventional job as I love the one I’ve got and Hubby is so supportive of me he never moans…..I just get the look when something pretty that needs recycling catches my eye….

Visit rachaelhunt’s etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5536734